‘Pigs Are Friends, Not Food’ Billboard Targets Peppa Pig Fans in Belfast
Belfast is set to welcome Peppa Pig fans this week at a production of Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show. But, alongside the much-loved children’s character, a different message has appeared near the Grand Opera House…
Digital billboards urging the public to “Go vegan” have been installed on streets around the venue.
The eye-catching displays, positioned on Great Victoria Street and Wellington Place, feature a cheerful cartoon pig alongside the words “Pigs are friends, not food”. They will remain in place for one week, encouraging theatregoers and passers-by to think about the real animals behind the imagery.
Confined, Mutilated, Gassed, and Killed
While Peppa loves playing in muddy puddles and having fun with her family, the reality for pigs in the UK couldn’t be more different. Most pigs raised for food spend their lives indoors in crowded, barren sheds, where they are denied the chance to root, explore, or build nests – behaviours that are deeply important to them. Pigs are highly intelligent, emotional individuals who recognise their own names, form strong social bonds, and show empathy when others are distressed, yet farming systems treat them as commodities rather than beings with their own lives.
Mother pigs are repeatedly impregnated and confined to farrowing crates where they cannot properly care for their piglets. Their babies, who are often subjected to painful mutilations like tail docking and teeth clipping, are taken away after only a few weeks and raised for slaughter, typically killed at around six months old.
At the end of this short life, most pigs in the UK are killed in gas chambers, where they are exposed to high concentrations of carbon dioxide. The gas forms an acid on sensitive tissues such as the eyes and lungs, causing intense distress as pigs struggle desperately before losing consciousness.
Show Compassion for All Pigs
Children are often taught to love animal characters like Peppa Pig, but the treatment of real pigs tells a very different story.
The Belfast billboards draw attention to that contradiction, urging families to extend their compassion beyond the theatre and choose plant-based foods that spare animals’ lives.
Take Action for Pigs
You can help pigs by removing them, and all animals, from your diet. Find out how with our free Vegan Starter Kit.
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